Q I want to win Fashions on the Field. I've got nice legs, but a bit of a gut so I'm thinking of something a little art deco and flappery.
Will that be racewear enough?

A few years back, Kate Moss threw herself a rip-roaring, 1920s-themed 30th birthday bash. Titled "the Beautiful and Damned" (after Moss or F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel? The debate rages), it had all the makings of a memorable deco-dance: booze, brawls, bust-ups, beautiful babes and brilliant fashion.

Flashback further and you'll recall Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. Further still and you'll find '20s film stars such as Clara Bow and Billie Dove - all the inspiration you need to channel flapper-style fashion at Flemington this year.

So, tossing some Hoagy Carmichael on the gramophone, slicking your hair into a chic Josephine Baker bob and mixing yourself another mint julep (Charleston, anyone?), it's time to talk winning Fashions on the Field flapper-style.

First things first, a flyaway sheath or loose-fitting column that falls to the knees is the basic dress-shape of the '20s. Waistlines are dropped to the hips, arms are generally kept bare and necklines are scooped. Add swing style or scalloped hems together with a jazz-age dose of sparkle, beading or fringing and you've got flapper fashion covered.

Tracing the revered origins of this poetic and punchy look to the likes of Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin and Paul Poiret, it's only natural that today's designers continue to be inspired. Thurley, Cohen et Sabine, Collette Dinnigan, Sass & Bide and Shakuhachi are just a few of the many who have channelled '20s chic this season. And, as if right on cue, sequins (that flapper fave) lit up the recent spring '09 international collections like a constellation in a night sky.

Now, in terms of an appropriate palette, I've opted for black and white with accents of metallic, which will, take note, impress the judges on Derby Day.

Last stop: accessories. A long pearl necklace (wrapped around twice), a feather treasure (caplet, not boa) or perhaps a pair of antique deco earrings would be ideal. Heels should be closed-toe (think sudden torrential downpour); and headwear kept simple: a straw cloche or, if you're under 20, a flapper-inspired headband.
Yes, I think Gatsby chic just got the judges' tick.